It was a uniquely american baha i innovation, though one thats been adopted by many other countries. The following information will allow us to process your request for membership in the bahai faith. Im not denying that im a bahai, or that im promoting a religion called the bahai faith. Becoming a member of the baha i faith, a world religion, is a spiritual and private decision. Baha ullah and shoghi effendi appointed them to serve in the special and important role for the inspiration of the public to know more about the baha i faith and also for advising the baha i communities. Like many conservative faith groups, they believe that sexual activity is to be restricted to married couples, and that marriage can only be between one woman and one man. Internet archive the above is my recently completed translation of the first two unities of the book, persian bayan bayan i farsi, written by the 19th century religious leader, ali muhammad shirazi, known to posterity as the bab. The bahai faith is the only religion to have grown faster in every united nations region over the past 100 years than the general population. The author has been a member of the bahai faith in canada since 1973 and is a. Bahais often host informal fireside meetings in their homes for introductory conversations about the bahai faith. I composed that letter on my computer and mailed it in january of 2005. Im a member of a worldwide religious community called the baha faith, and im trying to learn to follow one of their prophets as my master teacher. During a festive period from 2017 through 2019, bahai communities around the world are celebrating the 200th anniversaries of the births of gods messengers for this day. It was a uniquely american bahai innovation, though one thats been adopted by.
About 2,100 indigenous tribes, races, and ethnic groups are represented in the bahai community. We are happy to share with you that for each of the declarations that are registered online using the online registration form, there is someone assigned to follow up with that person to ascertain sincerity and to discuss the fundamental verities of the faith, before the. Both lived during the 19th century in persia, in a time of great turmoil. Bahai online services are available to individual members of the american bahai community living within the continental united states my page allows you to access, update, and maintain your bahai contact information and selected personal membership information.
If youre interested in becoming a bahai, though, you may not know what joining the faith actually entails. This is a special and joyous event for all of the bahai communities around the world. Free bahai faith february 10 the law of attraction has brought together certain elements in the form of this beautiful flower, but when that attraction is withdrawn from this centre the flower will decompose, and, as a flower, cease to exist. It was founded by bahaullah in iran in the 19th century. Bahai faith and christianity bahais of the united states. It was founded by bahaullah in iran in 1863 iran was then mainly a muslim country, and the. According to the 1992 encyclopaedia britannica book of the year, the bahai faith had established significant communities in more countries and territories than any other religion except for christianity. It is estimated to have between 5 and 8 million adherents, known as baha. The bahai faith is a religion founded in the 1800s by an iranian shiite muslim known as bahaullah, who taught that all the religions of the world are part of gods plan and all the peoples of the world should come together in peace and reconciliation. Login using encompass membership provider australian bahai members. Bahaullah, the founder of the bahai faith, testified of jesus christ as follows. I hope this doesnt get to be too long, but i was a bahai for more than 40 years before i withdrew from the bahai faith in march 2019.
It contains selected works of bahaullah, the bab, abdulbaha, shoghi effendi, and the universal house of justice, as well as other bahai texts. The objective of this research has been to describe and account for the growth and spread of the bahai. There is no requirement that baha i administrations use membership cards, and many dont. All my liberal friends think im really conservative. I have noticed on a number of threads in this section, references to central baha i membership lists and membership cards and the like. One is a worldwide community called the bahai faith, whose membership is defined by the universal house of justice. Founded in persia in 1844, it now has more than five million adherents in 236 countries and territories. The bahai faith began in 1844 in persia now iran, with the announcement of the new age by bahaullahs forerunner, known as the bab the door. I am wondering, why is it necessary to be officially accepted as a member of the faith in order to share these beliefs and call onesself a baha i.
He taught there is one god and one human family, and that the great religions of the world represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society. Maybe there are more bahais than jews in south carolina. If you want to learn about the bahai faith, you will be. A fireside is a great setting for people to ask questions and learn about how the faiths teachings relate to contemporary life. Online shopping from a great selection at kindle store store. All posts and comments belong to individual redditors, and do not necessarily. There is no requirement that bahai administrations use membership cards, and many dont. This provides for membership we cannot know when we have a majority decision until we can count and measure when a majority is reached for example. Many people meet bahais and learn about the bahai faith by attending a meeting. Know thou that when the son of man jesus yielded up his breath to god, the whole creation wept with a great weeping. The bahai faith is the youngest of the worlds independent monotheistic religions. Bahai reference library the bahai reference library is the authoritative online source of bahai writings. Baha support preservation with your baha membership. The council of wisdom and the vision of the bahai faith by eric stetson.
S according to the 1992 encyclopaedia britannica book of the year, the bahai faith had established significant communities in more countries and territories than any other religion except for christianity. Sep 08, 2006 the bahai faith is one of the youngest of the worlds major religions. Persian bayan english translation volume one religious forums. One of the most important reasons he mentions is that the baha i faith is the religious equivalent of. It is known for its belief in the essential unity of all religions.
If you live in a locality that does not have a registered group or local assembly, and you would like to register as a bahai group, complete a group registration form and mail or fax it to the membership office. Online or mailin downloadable declaration registration forms. Listening to bahai proponents, one is constantly led to believe that the bahai faith is the latest universal religion with superior omnipresent laws that replace all other teachings in order to establish a universal religion with universally applicable regulations and guidelines suitable for our time and place. The free bahai faith official website of the free baha. The bahai faith is one of the youngest of the worlds major religions. It speaks of institutions, voting, decision making and so on. I am totally convinced that the bahai faith is doomed to fail in its mission to bring peace, unity, and a golden age to humanity and i therefore resign from my past membership in the faith.
The bahai faith is a world religion based on the teachings of bahaullah. A widening embrace a documentary film about the communitybuilding efforts of. The bab, whose name means the gate, encouraged all to seek spiritual truth with independent hearts, by removing attachment to superstition and reliance on clergy. I am wondering, why is it necessary to be officially accepted as a member of the faith in order to share these beliefs and call onesself a bahai. The bahai world faith claims to be a religion of unique relevance to the modern world. Timothy mulligan posted the following message on the alt. They share this belief in gods nature with christians, jews, and muslims, although what each of these religions believes about the one and only god can be quite different.
With the young turk revolution abdul baha was freed, and in 1912 he went on a worldwide teaching trip to europe and america with mirza ahmad sohrab, his secretary and interpreter. Im a member of a worldwide religious community called the baha faith, and i. The christian faith is based on the belief that jesus is the one and only son of god, and that he was incarnated here in this world to atone for the sins of humanity. I was a seeker of religion from the time i was 12 years old when upon taking communion for the first time at a. The bahai faith is the youngest of the worlds independent religions and emerged from iran in the mid1800s. Bahaullah and shoghi effendi appointed them to serve in the special and important role for the inspiration of the public to know more about the bahai faith and also for advising the bahai communities. Mar 17, 2015 bahai beliefs the bahai faith is monotheistic, believing in one, allpowerful creator god. Its teachings include the oneness of humanity, independent investigation of truth and the equality of men and women.
Members in all categories have the right to cast one vote per election. Office of membership and records bahai national center 1233 central street, evanston, il 60201. What are the differences between bahai and christian. I would like to become a member of the bahai faith. The free bahai faith official website of the free bahai faith. For reference to a particular belief, please reference our articles dealing with specific beliefs within the bahai faith. These plans have become broader and more detailed in the past few decades so that today bahai expansion is guided by very precise objectives for increasing the numbers and kinds of believers and for insuring that they are widely dispersed. In addition, our core community building activities include. The following was posted to the listserv bahaistudies on november 1, 1998, in reference to an ongoing discussion there about the accuracy and methods of tallying north american bahai membership statistics. The bahai faith was founded by two divine educators, the bab and bahaullah. By sacrificing himself, however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things.
The bahai faith has distinguished itself as a unique world religion because of its size 5 million members, its global scale 236 countries, its practical autonomy from its parent religion of islam there is little blurriness between the two, and for its doctrinal uniqueness, being monotheistic yet inclusive. Wherefore, do thou love me, that i may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life. Your annual taxdeductible membership dues include a subscription to bahas newsletter, free research privileges in the baha archives, and announcements of all baha activities. Oct 01, 2007 teaching blog said dear olivia, we are in receipt of your question about how the online enrollment process works. Bahais come from nearly every national, ethnic and religious background, making the bahai faith the secondmostwidespread religion in the world. The new version of the bahai reference library can be accessed here. Beliefs in that community about all religious, political and social issues range as widely as they do in all the rest of society. All community officers recorded through an assembly officers election or bahai group registration, and emembership assistants on record, may log in to emembership2 with their bahai id number and bahai online services password. Bahais believe that god periodically reveals his will through divine. Top kodi archive and support file community software vintage software apk msdos cdrom software cdrom software library. I have noticed on a number of threads in this section, references to central bahai membership lists and membership cards and the like. Lady ruth white was the first inspiration of the free bahai faith. The bahai reference library is an agency of the bahai international community, a nongovernmental organization that represents and encompasses the worldwide membership of the bahai faith.
The following is a basic outline of the beliefs and teachings of the bahai faith. Becoming a member of the bahai faith, a world religion, is a spiritual and private decision. See the article in its original context from march 18, 1934, section watch, page 5 buy reprints. Fortunately, after youve spiritually converted to baha ism, its a pretty simple process to join the faith. The bahai faith is established in virtually every country and in many dependent territories and overseas departments of countries. This subreddit is for discussions about the bahai faith, as well as news and current events in the worldwide bahai community. Estimates of the bahai membership religious tolerance. Bahais of the gambia the bahai community of the gambia. The bahai world center will only state that there appear to be more than five million. About this site this site provides electronic access to selected writings of the bahai faith in english, persian and arabic. The bahai faith and homosexuality religious tolerance. All my conservative friends think im extremely liberal. An empirical assessment of the world christian database pdf.
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